People working as arc welders often use auxiliary welding tools such as, for example, grinders to prepare and re-work parts for welding. Grinders come in many shapes and configurations, with right angle grinders being very common. Other auxiliary welding tools may include, for example, lights to illuminate the work area or cutting tools to cut a workpiece.
Some auxiliary welding tools are battery powered, while others are “corded” and are powered from, for example, 115 VAC or VDC. Both styles have drawbacks. For example, battery powered tools do not typically have enough charge to last all day in industrial applications. Corded units add yet another electrical cord to the work area which could be tripped over, or which may create an electrical hazard.
Often at large fabrication sites, the welding power source is remotely positioned from the wire feeder (e.g., up to 100 feet or more). To position an auxiliary welding tool, such as a grinder, close to the wire feeder where the operator is welding, 100 feet or more of electrical extension cord may be required.
Customers may prefer to be able to connect an auxiliary welding tool directly to the wire feeder. However, because of electrical guide lines from organizations such as, for example, the IEC and CSA, supplying high voltages (greater than 50 volts) through the wire feeder control cable incurs significantly greater insulation requirements such that the wire feeder is no longer cost competitive.
For example, certain newer wire feeders use 42 VAC or 40 VDC. Some wire feeders are powered by the arc voltage. Many new welding power sources are inverter or chopper based. Equipped with sophisticated electronics, such power sources are capable of regulating complex waveforms. DC pulse waveforms are common, and some machines regulate AC square wave pulses. Although rarely used in a welding arc, some machines are capable of creating AC sine wave outputs.
Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional, traditional, and proposed approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such systems and methods with the present invention as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings.